Apparatus for forming and attaching a terminal clip



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APPAR ATUS,FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING A TERMINAL CLIP Filed Jan. 6. 1930 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 n .7 h 1 l H M 1 t 1% H yn Aug. 23, 1932'. J. Q. HOLMES ET AL APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING A TERMINAL CLIP Filed Jan. 6. 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 23, 1932. J. Q. HOLMES ET AL 1,873,125

APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING A TERMINAL CLIP Filed Jan. 6. 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 g 1952- J. HOLMES ET AL 1,873,125

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APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING A TERMINAL CLIP ,7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 6. 1950 23 1932 J. Q. HOLMES ET AL ,8 3 25 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ATTACHING A TERMINAL CLI? Filed Jan. 6, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE l JOHN G. HOLMES AND ALVA W. PHELPS, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASBIGNOBS 'IO DELGO-REMY CORPORATION, OIHANDEBSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELL- WARE APPARATUS I'OB FOBIING AND ATTAGHING A TERMINAL CLIP Application filed January 8, 1980. Serial No. 418,971.

This invention relates to the manufacture of terminal clips for electrical conductors and one of its objects is to provide a single machine for punchin a blan minal clip, and for attaching the terminal cli to an electrical conductor.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the 10 following description, reference being had 20 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a terminal clip formed from the blank shown in Fig 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clip attached to the end of an electrical conductor.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view on a larger scale than Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig. 9, of parts of the 30 apparatus which are attached to the bed of a punch press employed for the purpose of operating the apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view looking in the direction of arrow 7 of Fig. 9 of parts of 35 the apparatus attached to the head of the punch press.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken principallv on the line 8-8 of Figs. 6 and 10.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the parts of the apparatus attached to the head and base of the punch press.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10--10 of F1g. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 43 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 12 12 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a sectional -view out-he line 13--13 of Fig 10 and 1313 of Fig. 6, and

13-43 of Fig. 7.

from sheet ma-' 5 terial, forming the lank to provide a ter- 14 is a sectional view on line 1 4 -14 of 1g. 10, line 14-14 of Fig. 6 and line 1414 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view on line Iii-15 of 10, line 15-15 of Fig. 6 and line 15-15 of ig. 7.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a frame block for holdin the stationary dies.

Fig. 17 1s a front view looking in the direction of the arrow 17 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrow 18 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 19 is a plan view of a cover plate for the frame shown in Fig. 16. I

Fig. 20' is a front elevation thereof looking in the direction of the arrow 20 of Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrow 21 of Fig. 19.

Referring to the drawings, a punch press comprises a bed 31 integral with side frame members 32 and 33 providing bearings 34 and 35 for a shaft having a crank or eccentric well known to those skilled in' the art, and connected by an eccentric link 38 with a vertically reciprocable, head 39. The shaft 36 carries a crank disc 40 carrying an adjustable crank pin 41 connected by link 42 with a pivot screw 43 carried by the free end of an arm 44 loosely journalled on a feed roll shaft 45 to which a ratchet wheel 46 and a hand wheel 47 are attached. A ratchet pawl (not shown) supported by the lever 44 engages the ratchet wheel 46 in order to turn the latter only in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 whenever the arm 44 is moved in the same direction. The shaft 45 is therefore intermittently rotated in order to operate-feed rolls 48 and 49 which intermittently feed a strip of sheet metal 50 (see Fig. 12)- through a guide 51 and through a shallow roove 52 in a cover block 53 which is attached y screws 54 to a base frame 55.secured by screws 56 to a base block 57 attached by studs 58 and nuts 59 to the bed 31.

The metal strip 50 is shaped to form the blank 60 shown in Figs. 2 and 12 by punches 61 and 62 attached to a block 63 which is attached to a block 64 secured to the press head 39. The punches 62 and 63 cooperate with a die block 65 (see Fig. 6) The block 65 is confined between spacing blocks 66 and 61' made from parts out ofi from the arts 61 and 62 respectively. The spacing b ocks 66 and 67 and the die block 65 are located within an aperture 68 in the frame 55 (see F 1g. 16) and are clamped in position by screws 69 and 70 received by tapped holes in lugs 71 and 72 respectively (see Figs. 13 and 16). The left hand end of the block 65 which is directly under the blank 60 as viewed in Fig. 12 abuts a block 75 received by an a erture 75a of frame 55 the right hand edge 0 which cooperates to provide one of the die members which cooperates with the punches 61 and 62. As shown in Fig. 6 the die block 65 abuts a rib 76a extending from a, die block 76 received by the recess 77 in the frame 55 (see Fig. 16). The aperture 80 in the eye 81 of the blank 60 is formed by a punch 82 located between the punches 61 and 62 and cooperating with the circular edge of the block 65 surrounding a hole 83 formed in the block 65. The cover plate 53 provides apertures 84 and 85 respectively for receiving the punches 61 and 62 and with a hole 86 for receiving the punch 82. The small discs punched out to provide the hole 80 in the blank 60 are forced through the die block 65 into an aperture 87 in the base block. 57.

The pieces represented by the shaded areas 88 and 89 in Fig. 2 which are out out by the punches 61 and 62 drop upon the lugs 71 and 72 and slide down their inclined surfaces as viewed in Fig. 13. In this way the punches 61, 62 and 82 cooperate with the die members 65, 76 and 75 to punch out a series of blanks 60 connected together by neck portions 60a.

The feeding mechanism is adjusted so as to feed the strip 50 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 12 a distance equal to the length of a blank 60 including the neck portion 60a. Using station A between parallel lines EE and F F to designate the position of the work in which the blank is formed, station B between lines FF and G-G will be the position of the work in which the blank is folded along the lines mm and H (see Figs. 2 and 3) to form the terminal clip designated in its entirety by numeral 90 and desig nated as having an apertured eye 81, a pair of tangs 91 and 92 adapted to be formed around the bared end of an insulated conductor 96, and as having a pair of tangs 93 and 94 adapted to be bent around the insulation of the conductor 96. The operation of folding the blank in the manner specified is performed at station B by a bifurcated forming block shown in Fig. 14 having punch parts 101 and 1'02 separated by a notch 103 which receives a bar 104 providing a guide for the vertical movement of the punches 101 and 102. The bar 104 separates apertures 1 05 and 106 which respectively receive the punch parts 101 and 102 and which are respectively vertically aligned with apertures 107 and 108 providedin the cover 53. These apertures are separated by a rib 109 with which the punch members 101 and 102 ccoperate to fold the blank as described in order to form the pairs of tan s 91, 92 and 93, 94. The block 100' is move vertically upward by lever 110 pivoteo at 111 (see Fig. 9) and moved in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in.Figs. 9 and 14 by being engaged during the downward movement of the press head 39 by the head of a screw 112 threaded into the head of a screw 113 which is screwed into the block 64 and retained by a lock nut 114. During downward movement of the press head 39 the punch members 101 and 102 are engaged respectively by plun ers 115 and 116 guided by suitable recesses in blocks 63 and 64 shown in Fig. 14 and yieldingly urged downwardly by springs 117 and 118 respectively. When the press head 39 is in lowest position the springs 117 and 118 will be fully compressed. During upward movement of the head 39 these springs are permitted to expand in order to cause relative movement between the plungers 115 and 116 and the block 63 and also between these plungers. and the frame 55. Therefore, as the head 39 moves upwardly and likewise the screw 112, the

lever 110 is permitted to move in a clockwise direction and the punches 101 and 102 are stripped from the work by the plungers 115 and 116 while the springs 117 and 118 are expanding to the extent permissible.

The work is automatically locked at station B by a device shown in Figs. 5, 6, 8 and 10. This locking device comprises a pin 120 adapted to enter hole 80 in the clip 90 and pivotally secured at 121 to a lever 122 pivoted at 123 upon a block 124 secured to the cover plate53. At the time that the feeding mechanism begins to feed the strip 50 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 12 the pin 120 is withdrawn from the hole 80 in the clip 90 due to the lever 122 being engaged by the head of a screw 125 threaded into 2. lug 126 attached to the block 64. The strip 50 continues to move toward the left after the screw 125 has released the lever 122 during the upward movement of the head 39. Therefore, while the strip 50 is still moving a spring 127 is lib permitted to cause the lever 122 to move in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 in order to move the pin 120 against the moving strip 50. The strip 50 will continue to move until the hole 80 of the blank 60 is located immediately below the pin 120 whereupon the pin 120 will drop into the hole 80 and arrest movement of the strip 50. The lower end of the pin 120 is received by a hole 128 in the die block 75. The hole 129 in the cover plate 53 receives the pin 120. If the feeding apparatus cannot be adjusted so that it will feed the strip 50 exactly the required distance there may be a slight overtravel since the feed rolls may slip on the strip 50 after the pin 120 has interlocked with the hole 80 to prevent further movement of the strip. In this Way the stri is located in the correct positlon for the fol 'ng operation to be performed at station D at a distance from station B sufficient to provide for the proper location of members which perform the operations at station D. At station D the terminal clip tangs are formed around the Wire as shown in Figs. 4

and 12 and the clip is cut off from theremainder of the strip by punch and die mem: bers which cut off the neck 60a. The neck 60a is cut off by a punch having a shank 131 extending through the block 63 and into a shaft hole 132 in the block 64, saidhole receiving a set screw 133 which may be'screwed down against the tang 131. The punch 130 is received by a slot 134 in the cover plate '53 and passes into a die aperture ppovided by a groove 136 in a block 137 and closed by a block 138. The blocks 137 and 138 are received by an aperture 139 in the frame block 55. The neck portions 60a which are cut away by the punch 130 are forced by the punch through the aperture 136 which is in aligment with the aperture in base block 57.

Referring to Figs 9, 10, 11 and 12 the operation of forming the tangs of the clips 90 .around the electrical conductor is performed by notched forming bars 140 and 141 while the clip 90 rests upon an anvil 142 as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. The bars 140 and 141 are received by a recess 143 in the block 63 and are clamped therein by screws 144. Screws bear against the upper edges of the bars 140 and 141 in order to limit upward movement thereof. While screws 144 are loosened the bars 140 and 141 are moved upwardly in the recess 143 in block 63 until they touch the lower ends of the screws 145 which may be turned in order to adjust them vertically so as to locate the blocks 140 and 141 in the desired position. 50.

The anvil member 142 is an insert in a block 146 shown in Fig. 11, said block 146 being re-. ceived by an aperture 147 in the frame block 55 and being secured therein by screws 148. To use the machine the operator places upon the terminal clip 90, as shown in Fig. 5, an end of an insulated conductor the insulation of which has been stripped off a distance slightly greater than the width of the tangs 91, 92. While the conductor is located between the tangs of the clip 90 it is moved toward the cover plate 53 until its end en gages a stop lug 150 provided by the cover plate 53. Then the press is caused to operate by tripping a clutch of the conventional type (not shown) and the press shaft 36 is caused to make one complete revolution and then stop automatically. The handle shown in Fig. 1 controls the clutch of the press. The shaft 36 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 because the head 39 moves downwardly in order to perform the various operations of forming the blank. bending the blank to form a clip, cutting off the clip thus formed and attaching it to an electrical conductor. During the downward movementpf the punch press the feed mechanism is backed up for the feeding operation which takes Iplatzle during the upward-movement of the ea 7 It is therefore apparent from the foregoing description of construction and mode of operation of the machine for forming at taching terminal clips to electrical conductors that the cost of operation of providing a conductor with a terminal clip has been materially reduced because one machine performs the operations of forming the clip and of attaching it to the conductor, and because there is a considerable saving of time as compared with the method of manufacturing requiring that the clip be made on one machine and at tached to a conductor by another machine. A further saving is elfected by reason of the fact that the raw material is not manufactured into terminal clips except as needed.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it. is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all com ing within the scope of the claims which fol- What isclaimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and for attaching the clip to an electrical. conductor, comprising, in combination, means for formin a series of connected blanks from a strip of s eet material, means for forming the blanks successively into terminal clips, means for attaching the clip to an electrical conductor, and means for severing the clip attached to an electrical conductor from the remainder of the stri 2. Apparatus for orming a terminal cl p and for attaching the clip to an electrical conductor, comprising, in combination, punch and die members for forming from a strip of sheet material a series of connected blanks, each blank comprising an apertured eye portion and portions adapted to provide tangs for embracing the conductor, said blanks being connected by relatively narrow neck portions, means for bending the tang forming portions away from the plane of the blank, means for bending the tangs of a clip around a conductor in order to attach the clip to the conductor, and means for severing said clip from the strip, said means including punch and die members for cutting through a neck portion.

3. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and for attaching the clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination, punch and die members for forming from a strip of sheet material blanks, each blank comprising an apertured eye portion and portions adapted to provide tangs for embracing the con ductor, said blanks being connected by relatively narrow neck portions, means for bending the tang forming portions away from the plane of the blank, and means for bending the tangs of a clip around a conductor in order to attach the clip to the conductor.

4. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming a blank from a strip of sheet metal; means for feeding the strip to the punch and die members, and a formed blank from the punching position to the attaching position; means for bending the blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon; and means for firmly maintaining the blank in attaching position while the feeding means is still operative.

5. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination, punch and die members for forming a blank from a strip of sheet metal; means for feeding the strip to the punch and die members; means for bending the blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon; means for arresting the blank in attaching position before the strip feeding means ceases operating and for maintaining the blank in attaching position between operations of the punch and die members and the forming means.-

6. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip "and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming connected blanks from a strip of sheet metal, each blank having an aperture; means for feeding the strip of sheet metal to the punch and die members; means for attaching the foremost blank to an electric conductor to form a clip thereon; and a member comprising a p n, said pin being adapted to extend through the aperture of an intermediate blank to limit the feeding of the strip while the feeding means is still operative.

7. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming connectedblanks from a strip of sheet metal, each blank having an aperture; means for feeding thestrip of sheet metal to the punch and die members; means for bending the foremost blank around an electrical conductor to form a. clip thereon; and a member having a pin, said pin being adapted to extend through the aperture of an intermediate blank before the feeding means ceases operating, thereby arresting the connected blanks in a position in which the foremost blank is to be bent around the electrical conductor.

8. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip I form a clip thereon; and a member having a pin; said pin being adapted to extend through the apertured eye-portion of an intermediate blank while the feeding means is still operative, thereby arresting the connected blanks in a position in which the foremost blank is to be attached to the electrical conductor and maintaining the blanks in such position between operations of the punch and die members and the forming means.

9. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching a blank to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming a blank from a strip of sheet metal; means for feeding the strip to the punch and die members; means for bending the blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon; and means for arresting the blank in attaching position before the strip feeding means ceases operating and for maintaining the blank in such position between operations of the punch member and the forming means.

10. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming connected blanks from a strip of sheet metal and simultaneously punching an aperture into the blank; means for feeding the strip of sheet metal to the punch and die members; means for bending the foremost blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon;

and a pin adapted to register with the approaching aperture of an intermediate blank while'the connected blanks are being fed, thereby stopping the movementof the blanks and maintaining them in a position in which the foremost blank is to be bent around the electrical conductor.

11. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip-to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming connected blanks from a strip of sheet metal and simultaneously punching an aperture into the blank; means for feeding the strip of sheet metal to the punch and die members in response to withdrawal of the punch member from the blank after punching the same; means operating simultaneously with the punch and die members for bending the foremost blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon, a pin adapted to register with the approaching aperture of an intermediate blank while the connected blanks are being fed, thereby preventing further movement of the blanks from a position in which the foremost blank is to be bent around the electrical conductor; and means for withdrawing said pin from the aperture during the punching and bendin operation and for maintaining the pin wit drawn until after commencement of the feeding operation.

12. Apparatus for forming a terminal clip and attaching said clip to an electrical conductor, comprising in combination; punch and die members for forming connected blanks from a strip of sheet metal and simultaneously punching an aperture into the blank; means for feeding the strip of sheet metal to the punch and die members in response to Withdrawal of the punch member from the blank after punching the same; means operating simultaneously with the punch and die members for bending the foremost blank around an electrical conductor to form a clip thereon, a pin adapted to drop into the approaching aperture of an intermediate blank under its own gravity while the connected blanks are being fed, thereby preventing further movement of the blanks from a position in which the foremost blank is to be bent around the electrical conductor; and means for withdrawing said pin from the aperture during the punching and bend ing operation and for maintaining the pin withdrawn until after commencement of the feeding operation.

In testimony whereof we hereto aflix our signatures.

' JOHN Q. HOLMES. ALVA W. PHELPS. 

